ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stick · current · mug · face · cabinet · fine · bat · mark

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. face — to point toward
  3. face — to confront
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. fine — all right
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. current — happening now
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a cup
  15. current — of water
  16. fine — high quality
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. current — electric
  20. face — part of the head
  21. mark — a grade
  22. bat — the animal
  23. mug — a face
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com